Your Yard in December

Your Yard in December

The snow has arrived! Make sure you’re protecting your plants and lawn from the elements.

Winter Plant Protection

– Protect evergreens and sensitive plants from salt spray along roads and driveways by covering their bases with burlap.

– Knock heavy snow off of evergreens like arborvitaes and boxwoods to prevent damage.

– Wrap chicken wire around the trunks of trees and vulnerable plants to prevent rabbits from gnawing on their bark.

– For roses, mound fresh, dry soil or compost up to 2 feet high around the base and cover with mulch. This covering acts as an insulator to prevent the shrub from freezing and re-thawing. (Compost can then be worked into the soil come spring.)

– Similarly, evergreen boughs serve as a winter mulch for annuals and perennials after the ground freezes.

– We recommend staking driveway perimeters before the ground freezes to protect lawns and gardens from snow removal damage.

Dormant Pruning

The best time to schedule pruning for most shrubs is when the plants have stopped growing for the season. In particular, yews, red-twig dogwoods and summer-blooming shrubs like Hydrangeas and Potentilla require rejuvenation pruning for continued growth and vibrant color.

Why prune now?

Because plants aren’t expending energy on new growth during the winter, they’re able to more quickly heal pruning cuts. Additionally, pests and disease are less of a threat to vulnerable bark openings during winter. Come spring, without dead or dying branches, shrubs can direct their resources to healthy plant growth. And next winter, your healthy plants will be stronger to heal from any winter damage. Dormant season pruning makes it easy to catch problems, keeps your shrubs healthy, and promotes hearty growth during the warmer months. Check out Love Your Landscape for more info!

Note: Wait until right after spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilacs bloom to prune!

You Can do These Indoors

– It’s not too late to request our help with holiday greenery decorations and lighting.

– Pot bulbs like amaryllis or paperwhite for a lovely gift or an indoor plant for yourself!

– If you mow your own lawn, it’s a good idea to have your mower serviced before storing it for the winter.